In a speech at Longbridge, Birmingham, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said, “Britain is home to some of the world’s most innovative and dynamic businesses, staffed by incredibly talented, hardworking individuals. Yet our productivity – the rate of output per hour worked – is well below its potential. In stark terms, it now takes a worker in the UK 5 days to produce what his or her counterparts in Germany can deliver in 4... If we could match USA for productivity, it would boost our GDP by 31% – that’s equivalent to £21,000 a year for every household in the UK.” Ref Gov.uk.

‘Fixing the foundations’ sets out a 15-point plan to encourage long-term investment and promote a dynamic economy:

Taking action to ensure that local authorities have local plans in place and are making homes available for local people. The government will intervene to arrange for local plans to be written where necessary, in consultation with local people.

Bringing forward proposals to significantly streamline the length and process of local plan preparation.

Considering how policy can support higher-density housing around key commuter hubs.

Considering how national policy and guidance can ensure that unneeded commercial land can be released for housing.

Improving the planning process to ensure planning decisions are made on time.

Working with the Mayor of London to remove the need for planning permission for upwards extensions for a limited number of stories up to the height of an adjoining building, where neighbouring residents do not object.

The report also proposes restricting the relief on finance costs that landlords of residential property can get to the basic rate of tax. The restriction will be phased in over 4 years, starting from April 2017.

These proposals come on top of a raft of measures announced just 6 days earlier to accelerate house building over the next 5 years which will form part of the Housing Bill to be introduced in the autumn, including:

The report states, 'The government does not intend to proceed with the zero carbon Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme, or the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards, but will keep energy efficiency standards under review, recognising that existing measures to increase energy efficiency of new buildings should be allowed time to become established.'